Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], March 1 (ANI): Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami chaired a high-level meeting at the Chief Minister's residence on Sunday to review preparations for the proposed visit of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to Haridwar on March 7.

The Chief Minister directed officials to ensure that all arrangements for the programme are completed in a timely, well-organised, and dignified manner. He emphasised that security, traffic management, public convenience, and inter-departmental coordination must function smoothly throughout the visit, according to a release.

Highlighting Haridwar's significance as an important religious and cultural city, the Chief Minister instructed that special care be taken to ensure that devotees and the general public do not face any inconvenience during the event. He called for stringent security measures, an effective traffic management plan, strengthened parking arrangements, and seamless coordination among all concerned departments. He also directed officials to ensure adequate arrangements for cleanliness, drinking water, electricity supply, and healthcare services at the event venues.

The meeting was attended by Garhwal Commissioner Vinay Shankar Pandey, Haridwar District Magistrate Mayur Dixit, Dehradun District Magistrate Savin Bansal, Additional Secretary Banshidhar Tiwari, and other senior officials from the concerned departments. Officials briefed the Chief Minister on the progress of preparations and the measures being undertaken by various departments, according to a release.

The Chief Minister instructed all concerned officials to regularly monitor every aspect of the arrangements and ensure that no laxity is shown at any level, so that the Union Home Minister's visit to Haridwar is conducted successfully and in an orderly manner.

Dhami has also issued clear instructions that pension cases must be resolved with complete promptness while chairing a review meeting

He ensured that no eligible beneficiary is deprived of social security scheme benefits. He directed officials to launch extensive outreach campaigns to spread awareness about pension schemes among maximum eligible beneficiaries and to present an innovation-based, effective action plan at the earliest to connect deprived and vulnerable sections with these schemes.

The Chief Minister stated that under the 'Jan-Jan Ki Sarkar, Jan-Jan Ke Dwar' programme, camps organised across the state have had a significantly positive impact, leading to a notable increase in the number of pension beneficiaries. Calling it a reflection of the government's sensitive and committed approach, he instructed that such special drives must continue regularly in remote and hilly areas to ensure that social security benefits reach even the last person in the queue.

During the meeting, the Chief Minister released the February 2026 pension instalment of the Social Welfare Department through a one-click digital transfer. On this occasion, a total of 957,651 beneficiaries received Rs 14,191.61 lakh (Rs 141.91 crore). The amount includes both the monthly pension and arrears, ensuring timely financial support to eligible beneficiaries. (ANI)